What is the highest paying side hustle?

In this guide, fractional executive work pays the most per hour: Go Fractional's job post benchmarks average $176 to $211 an hour, by role. Local photography comes next, at $164 an hour on average on Thumbtack. The best one for you is the highest paying side hustle you already have the skill for.

What side hustle pays $100 an hour?

Coaching does: business and life coaches on Upwork have a median of $100 an hour. Fractional executive work, local photography and real estate photography average more than $100 an hour, by Go Fractional's and Thumbtack's figures. These rates reflect years of experience or a strong portfolio, so few people start there.

What are high paying side hustles for nurses?

AI training platforms pay experts more than generalists, and DataAnnotation lists $40 to $150+ an hour for coders and other experts. Coaching and personal training put your health knowledge to work, and personal trainers on Thumbtack charge $55 an hour on average. Check your employer's rules on outside work before you start.

What are high paying side hustles for teachers?

SAT and ACT tutoring fits teachers well, and the highest-rated SAT tutors on Wyzant listed $75 to $500 an hour on October 3, 2026. Grant writing has a $50 median on Upwork, and schools and nonprofits need it. Presentation design and course creation also use skills teachers practice every day.

What are high paying side hustles for students?

Holiday lights, pressure washing and window cleaning pay per job, from $221 to $444 a job on average, by Angi's figures. If you scored well on the SAT or ACT, tutoring pays $35 to $60 an hour on average on Wyzant. Many platforms require you to be 18, so check the age rules first.

Which high paying side hustles work from home?

Coaching, AI development, tax preparation, consulting, voiceovers, grant writing and recruiting all work from home, at $50 to $100 an hour on Upwork. Fractional work can be remote too, and 45% of the fractional CMO job posts in Go Fractional's data were remote. Local jobs like photography and pressure washing need you on site.

Can a side hustle pay more than my job?

It can, and NASA engineer Eryn Andrews' voiceover side hustle passed her six-figure salary in the summer of 2025, CNBC reported. That took her three years, though, and most side hustles start small. Treat your first year as the time to build proof, then raise your rate.

How do I charge more for my side hustle?

Pick a niche, sell packages instead of hours and raise your rate for new clients every few projects. Chisom Okwulehie raised her design rate from $60 an hour in 2021 to $100, CNBC reported. The freelance rate calculator on this site helps you set a starting rate.

Which high paying side hustles need no degree?

Most of them don't need a degree, and voiceovers, photography, AI app building, holiday lights, pressure washing and car detailing all pay well without one. Some need a license or certificate instead, like a PTIN for tax preparation or an FAA certificate for drone photos. A portfolio often matters more than a degree for freelance work.

How much tax do I pay on side income?

In the US, you pay income tax on side income, plus 15.3% self-employment tax once your net earnings reach $400 a year. If you expect to owe $1,000 or more when you file, the IRS expects estimated payments during the year. I'm not a tax advisor, so check with an accountant as the money grows.

35 highest paying side hustles in 2026, ranked by real rates

35 high paying side hustles ranked by real rates, from fractional work and photography at $100+ an hour to local jobs and businesses with no ceiling, each with a real example where one exists.

by Navid Moazzez·Updated 3.10.2026·47 min read·

This is a list of the 35 highest paying side hustles, ranked by what people really charge for them.

My first side hustle, in 2013, was a blog I ran beside a part-time bank job. In 2014, my first virtual summit made over $20,000, and I quit that job on November 28, 2014. Since then I've made money from consulting, coaching, courses and summits, and I vibe coded the 700+ free tools on this site with AI. You can read more in my story.

Most lists of high paying side hustles guess at the pay. Every rate here comes from a named source instead: Upwork's rate pages for online skills, Thumbtack's and Angi's cost guides for local work, and each platform's own pages. So each side hustle below shows what it pays, a real example where one exists, the tools to use and the mistakes to avoid.

In this guide, you'll learn:

The 35 highest paying side hustles, ranked by real rates
Which side hustles pay $100 an hour or more
The best high paying side hustles for nurses, teachers and students
The popular side hustles that pay less than you'd think
How to raise your rate once clients say yes

Start with the ranking, then jump to the group that fits your skills.

key_takeaways.md

TL;DR

Key takeaways

Fractional executive work tops the list: in Go Fractional's benchmarks from live job posts, fractional CMOs average $176 an hour (Go Fractional) and CTOs $211 (Go Fractional).

Local work often pays more per hour than the same skill online: photographers average $164 an hour on Thumbtack (Thumbtack), against a $30 median on Upwork (Upwork).

The best paid online skills in this list are coaching, with a $100 median on Upwork, and AI development, with a $90 median (Upwork).

Some popular side hustles pay less than they look: video editors on Upwork typically charge $6 to $25 an hour (Upwork).

High rates come with costs, from equipment and insurance for local jobs to a 15.3% self-employment tax in the US (IRS).

The highest paying side hustles at a glance

Here's what the side hustles with an hourly rate pay, from the highest to the lowest:

What the highest paying side hustles pay per hour ($)

1Fractional executive

$176 to $211

2Local photographer

$164

3Real estate photographer

$150

4Coach

$100

5AI developer

$90

6Tax preparer

$60

7Automation consultant

$60

8Consultant

$55

9Voice actor

$55

10Personal trainer

$55

11Grant writer

$50

12Recruiter

$50

13Presentation designer

$45

14Chatbot developer

$45

15Resume writer

$42

16Ghostwriter

$32

17Copywriter

$30

18Technical writer

$30

19Web developer

$30

20Ads specialist

$30

21UX designer

$27

22Graphic designer

$25

Upwork, Thumbtack and Go Fractional · Upwork medians for online skills, Thumbtack national averages for local work and Go Fractional's lowest role average for fractional work, October 2026

And here are all 35, with what each pays and where the figure comes from:

Fractional executive

What it pays: $176 to $211 an hour, by role
Source: Go Fractional

Event and family photographer

What it pays: $164 an hour, or $358 a job
Source: Thumbtack

Real estate photographer

What it pays: $150 an hour, or $286 a home
Source: Thumbtack

Coach

What it pays: $100 an hour, the median
Source: Upwork

AI app and tool builder

What it pays: $90 an hour, the median
Source: Upwork

Tax preparer

What it pays: $60 an hour, the median
Source: Upwork

AI automation builder

What it pays: $60 an hour, the median for marketing automation
Source: Upwork

Consultant

What it pays: $55 an hour, the median
Source: Upwork

Voice actor

What it pays: $55 an hour, the median
Source: Upwork

Personal trainer

What it pays: $55 an hour, on average
Source: Thumbtack

Grant writer

What it pays: $50 an hour, the median
Source: Upwork

Recruiter

What it pays: $50 an hour, the median
Source: Upwork

Presentation designer

What it pays: $45 an hour, the median
Source: Upwork

AI chatbot builder

What it pays: $45 an hour, the median
Source: Upwork

Resume writer

What it pays: $42 an hour, the median
Source: Upwork

SAT and ACT tutor

What it pays: $35 to $60 an hour, on average
Source: Wyzant

AI trainer

What it pays: $25 to $50 an hour, or $40 to $150+ for experts
Source: DataAnnotation

Ghostwriter

What it pays: $32 an hour, the median
Source: Upwork

Copywriter

What it pays: $30 an hour, the median
Source: Upwork

Technical writer

What it pays: $30 an hour, the median
Source: Upwork

Web developer

What it pays: $30 an hour, the median
Source: Upwork

Paid ads specialist

What it pays: $30 an hour, the median
Source: Upwork

UX designer

What it pays: $27 an hour, the median
Source: Upwork

Graphic designer

What it pays: $25 an hour, the median
Source: Upwork

Holiday light installer

What it pays: $444 a job, on average
Source: Angi

Handyman

What it pays: $406 a job, or $50 to $150 an hour
Source: Angi

Pressure washer

What it pays: $312 a house, on average
Source: Angi

Window cleaner

What it pays: $221 a visit, on average
Source: Angi

Car detailer

What it pays: $120 to $350 for a full detail
Source: HomeGuide

Online course

What it pays: No ceiling, the price you set
Source: Virtual Summit Mastery: $60,000+ on its first launch

Paid community

What it pays: No ceiling, a monthly price
Source: Justin Welsh: $630,000 since 2019 (his breakdown)

Your own app or tool

What it pays: No ceiling, but the median app makes $72 a month
Source: RevenueCat

Newsletter with sponsors

What it pays: No ceiling, sponsors and subscriptions
Source: Justin Welsh: $795,000 from sponsors (his breakdown)

Virtual summit

What it pays: No ceiling, passes and sponsors
Source: My first summit made over $20,000

Small agency

What it pays: No ceiling, monthly retainers
Source: No public median

Side hustle	What it pays	Source
Fractional executive	$176 to $211 an hour, by role	Go Fractional
Event and family photographer	$164 an hour, or $358 a job	Thumbtack
Real estate photographer	$150 an hour, or $286 a home	Thumbtack
Coach	$100 an hour, the median	Upwork
AI app and tool builder	$90 an hour, the median	Upwork
Tax preparer	$60 an hour, the median	Upwork
AI automation builder	$60 an hour, the median for marketing automation	Upwork
Consultant	$55 an hour, the median	Upwork
Voice actor	$55 an hour, the median	Upwork
Personal trainer	$55 an hour, on average	Thumbtack
Grant writer	$50 an hour, the median	Upwork
Recruiter	$50 an hour, the median	Upwork
Presentation designer	$45 an hour, the median	Upwork
AI chatbot builder	$45 an hour, the median	Upwork
Resume writer	$42 an hour, the median	Upwork
SAT and ACT tutor	$35 to $60 an hour, on average	Wyzant
AI trainer	$25 to $50 an hour, or $40 to $150+ for experts	DataAnnotation
Ghostwriter	$32 an hour, the median	Upwork
Copywriter	$30 an hour, the median	Upwork
Technical writer	$30 an hour, the median	Upwork
Web developer	$30 an hour, the median	Upwork
Paid ads specialist	$30 an hour, the median	Upwork
UX designer	$27 an hour, the median	Upwork
Graphic designer	$25 an hour, the median	Upwork
Holiday light installer	$444 a job, on average	Angi
Handyman	$406 a job, or $50 to $150 an hour	Angi
Pressure washer	$312 a house, on average	Angi
Window cleaner	$221 a visit, on average	Angi
Car detailer	$120 to $350 for a full detail	HomeGuide
Online course	No ceiling, the price you set	Virtual Summit Mastery: $60,000+ on its first launch
Paid community	No ceiling, a monthly price	Justin Welsh: $630,000 since 2019 (his breakdown)
Your own app or tool	No ceiling, but the median app makes $72 a month	RevenueCat
Newsletter with sponsors	No ceiling, sponsors and subscriptions	Justin Welsh: $795,000 from sponsors (his breakdown)
Virtual summit	No ceiling, passes and sponsors	My first summit made over $20,000
Small agency	No ceiling, monthly retainers	No public median